


make me feel again

by icanexplain



Series: things i wrote in the notes app [1]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, No Smut, Peter Parker Has Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, and he gets is, flash thompson had anger issues but not anymore, he has depression but thats not a tag?, hes good now!!, this is a vent fic bc i am sad and alone as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22283257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icanexplain/pseuds/icanexplain
Summary: peter doesn't do well in a chemistry test. flash notices, and takes care of him.[title is from hayley kiyoko's "molecules"]
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker & Flash Thompson, Peter Parker/Flash Thompson
Series: things i wrote in the notes app [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1603954
Comments: 4
Kudos: 109





	make me feel again

**Author's Note:**

> this is a product of me reading every peter/flash fic i could get my hands on in the past week and then getting a much worse result than i expected in a maths exam today  
> i know this is a completely different style, fandom, pairing, etc etc than i normally write but ive been In My Feelings as usual, but even more so bc of mock exams and other shit, basically. yeah  
> if anyone who reads this follows my other fics, then sorry but as u might guess from this being a vent fic, i am not doing so good rn so im not gonna be updating soon. sorry
> 
> **trigger warnings for mentioned panic attack, very vaguely mentioned/implied homophobia, mentioned/implied past anger issues, and descriptions of a depressive episode. stay safe kids  
>  also this is only teen and up bc of that, the kissing is white person spicy level mild**
> 
> enjoy and pls lmk of any grammar/spelling mistakes (except for the lack of capitals), i wrote this in less than 2 hours and didnt really proofread it lol

flash knew something was up. he watched peter and ned leave chemistry, but he couldn’t do much about it when he was still packing up his things and his next lesson wasn’t with them. mj gave him a knowing, concerned, look as he left the classroom but flash didn’t particularly want to hear her insight into the matter if he could get it from peter himself. later. because he was already out of sight. mj it was, then.  
“i think his grade dipped,” she said, walking past him.  
“what?” flash replied, surprised. “peter’s?”  
“no, your other boyfriend’s,” she said sarcastically. “you’re welcome, by the way”  
he mumbled a “thanks” distractedly as she walked away. flash knew peter, his grades wouldn’t go down unless there was a real reason. he wasn’t lazy - busy, maybe, what with being spider-man and all, but not lazy.  
but flash couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary in the past month that could’ve caused peter to be busier. sure, his patrols had been creeping later and later into the night, but that had been happening gradually for a long while. and anyway, he stayed over at flash’s a lot more now, because flash’s was closer to midtown tech and he could drive there, so peter could wake up later than if he slept at home. flash frowned and decided to ask him about it at lunch. his phone pinged.

ned 💺: ik u thought it, but don’t ask peter about chemistry at lunch  
ned 💺: he’ll get rly upset  
flash ⚡️: okay, thanks for letting me know  
ned 💺: np 

okay, so after school.

the rest of the day went by faster than normal, likely because flash spent it all worrying about peter, to the point that his english teacher raised a disappointed eyebrow and asked him to concentrate. lunch was normal except for peter’s diminished contributions to the conversation, but when ned and mj started arguing about rey’s character development over the course of the newest star wars trilogy, peter leaned on flash and shut his eyes, staying silent for the rest of the break. flash didn’t ask, as ned suggested, but he did wrap his arm behind peter and held him closer, dropping a kiss on his cheek when they had to separate again to go to their lessons.

flash got out of his last lesson after peter. his us history teacher had held him back to discuss an essay flash didn’t really care about. when he finally got to his car, peter was already stood outside, typing something on his phone.  
“hey babe,” flash said in greeting, unlocking his car.  
peter looked up, pushing his glasses back into place - adorable - and smiled softly. he looked tired. flash brought him into a hug which peter happily reciprocated, burying his face into flash’s shoulder.  
“who were you texting?” flash asked, still hugging his boyfriend.  
“aunt may,” the other replied, “i was double checking if you could come over tonight. she said she’s unlikely to come home until tomorrow.”  
“again?” flash frowned. he knew how much peter cared about his aunt - her being away so much more often and for so much longer could be stressing him out. flash moved to look at peter’s face, hands on his upper arms.  
“yeah,” peter shrugged. “she can’t tell me much, but she said the office is really busy right now, and they keep having to send her out to the other side of the city because nobody else is available.” he rubbed his eyes and walked to the passenger side of the car, flash following him around to the drivers’ seat. “she’s asking for a promotion because apparently she does that job better than people who are actually hired to do it” he blew out a laugh. “it’ll be good for her, i’m happy for her.” he smiled and buckled up.  
“what about you?” flash asked, hesitating to turn the ignition on.  
“what about me?” peter repeated, looking across at flash.  
“i mean, not that you don’t always look beautiful, but you seem tired. more than usual.” the other boy looked down at his hands. “and chemistry...” flash trailed off, concern all over his face - not that peter could see it right now.  
a few too many seconds passed, so flash leaned across to rest his hand on peter’s shoulder. he inhaled deeply at the contact and blinked rapidly. worry etched itself deeper into flash’s features.  
“can we… not talk about this for a bit? just - can we just listen to your chill playlist and go get something for dinner? and maybe talk about it at home?” peter spoke almost too quietly; flash rubbed the shoulder he was holding.  
“of course.”

peter had gotten like this before. flash remembered the first time (well, the first time since they started dating), about five months ago, when he was still learning to control his anger, and how he’d almost blown up at peter in frustration when he seemed so passive, tired, undecided. instead, they had talked and peter quietly explained depressive episodes and how unmotivated he was during them, how he could feel the exhaustion physically pulling him down, how he hated not being able to do anything because it made him that bit more stressed. flash, as he listened, had remembered a couple times in the past when peter had acted strangely quiet at school, and spider-man hadn’t been sighted during the same week. the dots connected. he’d kissed peter gently and told him how much he was worth to flash, how he was here for the good and the bad days, and how he’d do whatever peter needed.  
peter had cried. it had been the first time flash had seen him cry. he’d held him close.

now, flash knew what to do. he made the decisions for peter, knowing what he liked and needed right now. spicy vegetable ramen packets, pak choi, spring onions, large mushrooms, eggs, and a box of triple chocolate cookies. peter kissed him thank you as he paid, his eyes saying more than flash would hear. he glared at the old lady who made a disgusted face when peter wasn’t looking.

back at peter’s flat, flash got started cooking, involving peter by having him wash the vegetables. they kissed and held each other between boiling and cooking the different ingredients. peter barely spoke, flash spoke in undertones. his heart skipped a beat every time peter called him “gene”.  
they sat on the same side of the table, quiet music playing from flash’s phone to brush away the pressing silence. flash snorted when peter tried to eat the fried egg in one go, causing peter to stubbornly eat it whole and smile triumphantly at his boyfriend. flash felt all the affection he had in him swell up, and he knew peter could see it. he laughed and told him a superhero should know how to eat. peter retorted that a superhero should do what he wants. flash couldn’t argue with that.

once they’d washed up their bowls and the various pots, pans, and chopping boards they’d used, peter turned the tv on to a random rom-com re-run, volume very low. flash passed him a cookie and sat on the sofa, not really paying attention to the screen as peter lay himself across his legs, looking cute as hell. he told him as much, making peter blush and tell him to shut up. he kissed him in response.  
they casually watched the rom-com for a while, flash carding his hand through peter’s hair, until he remembered if he wanted any talking to happen, he’d have to start.

“peter?”  
“yeah?” beautiful hazel eyes looked up at him. flash swallowed.  
“should we talk?”  
peter moved his gaze away, resigned. “probably.”  
“can we start at chemistry?”  
“my grade dropped. a lot. like, i barely passed.” he breathed deeply, almost shuddering.  
“i know you know that grades don’t define you, but remember that. but i know you love chemistry and you’re so good at it, what happened?” flash held peter’s hand and started rubbing circles into his palm, still playing with his hair. peter shut his eyes, smiling softly despite what they were talking about.  
“i… i don’t know. it’s like all the information just left my head.” flash frowned. what?  
“what?” he repeated, out loud now.  
peter opened his eyes. “i had a panic attack just before the test. i think i was so panicked and stressed that i just, forgot everything? it was not fun.”  
flash stared at him. “you didn’t tell me you had a panic attack! no wonder you were so clingy afterwards!” peter flinched. “sorry,” flash apologised immediately. “i worry about you - why didn’t you say anything?”  
“you and ned seemed to have done so well, i didn’t want to say anything and bring you guys down. i don’t know.” he turned to hide his face in flash’s arm.  
“you know we wouldn’t have judged you,” flash said quietly.  
“i know,” peter replied, muffled. “but my brain didn’t get the message.”  
“you’ll be able to get your grade back up again, i’m sure,” he replied. “you’re so clever, and we have plenty of time. you can do something for extra credit if you need to.”  
the other only hummed in response. they sat in relative silence for a few minutes, the forgotten rom-com still going, not much louder than the distant noise of traffic and new york city. flash was already watching peter, feeling grateful that he was the one fiddling with his curly brown hair right now and not someone else, when he turned his head out of its hiding place in flash’s side and watched him back. they just stared into each other’s eyes until peter sat up and kissed flash gently. the latter moved his hand to hold peter’s head close, and kiss him again, again, again, calm kisses that barely went further than a little tongue on the other’s lips.

at some point, flash remembered he wanted to talk about more than just about chemistry. between kisses, flash managed to ask if there was anything else going on other than the depressive episode and the panic attack.  
“well, there’s aunt may. or rather, there’s not,” he replied, now leaning on flash’s shoulder. instinctually, flash tilted his head sideways on top of peter’s. “i am genuinely happy that her job is going to get better, but she’s been away so much. i miss her. but i think it’s mostly the episode,” he concluded.  
“does she know?” flash asked, closing his eyes and feeling the reverberations of peter’s voice through his cheek.  
“i haven’t said anything, but i’m pretty sure she knows. i know she misses me too, because she tells me in every other text and call,” he smiled.  
“you two are so lucky to have each other, but you both deserve it,” flash said quietly.  
peter moved to look him in the eyes.  
“i’m lucky to have you.”

**Author's Note:**

> its not great, but i hope u enjoyed it. im keeping it vague at the end on purpose  
> thank u for reading :)


End file.
